Colin Kaepernick shared a reverence for Tommie Smith and John Carlos in heartfelt social media posts Wednesday.
The controversial former 49ers quarterback wrote about having “the honor of sitting down” with the civil rights activists and former San Jose State track athletes whose black-gloved salute on the medal stand at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games shocked the world and sent ripple affects into their life back in the Bay Area.
“l have read about them, studied their public protest, admired their courage, and like many others, l have emulated them, raising my fist as both a symbol of celebrating my Blackness, and acknowledging our connected struggles,” Kaepernick wrote on Instagram with pictures of him with Smith and with Carlos.